Enable or Disable Firewall in Windows 11/10

In this post, we will see how to enable or disable firewall in Windows 11/10. A Firewall is a component of Microsoft Windows that holds our systems protected from all kinds of network threats and malware. This particular tool is designed to keep unauthorized users from accessing files and resources on your computer.

However, the Windows firewall is not a trustworthy tool and can sometimes cause harm to your machine. Several users require to turn off their firewall for various purposes. Additionally, some users utilize a different firewall, and some may have turned theirs off by accident.

In addition, this is a silent tool that displays basic status information for each network profile. According to the tech community, if you concern about your device, you must have the Windows Defender Firewall ON. Though some users have another security program operating the same function and consequently they want to turn the Windows firewall off. Accordingly, in the below section, there are the steps to Enable or Disable the Windows firewall.

Is it safe to turn off the Windows Firewall?

The Windows Defender Firewall can be disabled if the computer is also protected by another security program. When there is no other firewall on your computer, disabling the Windows 11 firewall leaves your PC vulnerable. Basically, if you have another firewall running, you can disable Windows Defender Firewall.

However, you should not disable it if it is the only firewall you have unless there is a good reason for doing so. You can bypass the firewall for certain apps if you’re sure those apps aren’t malicious, but they can still be dangerous. A malware bypass can have serious consequences if you allow it to happen accidentally.

How to Disable Windows 11 Firewall

Disabling the Windows 11 firewall is a logical move if you are installing another firewall on your system. However, if that’s not the case, your device will be vulnerable to malicious software, which can potentially cause all sorts of problems with the machine.

• Open the Settings menu using the Windows+I keys.
• Now select the Privacy & security tab from the left pane.
• Click the Windows Security tile under the Security section.

• Under Protection areas, click on the Firewall & network protection option.

• You will see an active network profile next to it. Click on it.

• On the next page, toggle the switch under the Microsoft Defender Firewall section to Off‘.
• When the UAC window appears on your screen, click on Yes to continue.

• That’s it. Now the Windows Defender Firewall is no longer active.

Disable Windows 11 Firewall for Specific Apps

Windows 11 firewall issues can sometimes result in an app not working correctly. In such a case, it might be better to allow that application through the firewall rather than disable it completely. You can grant approval to bypass the firewall to the app if you trust it. If you want to disable the Windows 11 firewall for just one app, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app using the Windows+I keys.
• Then select Privacy & security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection.

• Scroll down and click on the link stating Allow an app through firewall.

• Click on the Change settings button on the next page.

Note: In order to change firewall settings, you must have administrator access. Therefore, you should be logged in to an admin account of the machine or at least have its credentials.

• On the next screen, select the checkbox next to the app name. The app will be given access to the internet to use as your default profile.
• Additionally, if you would like it to be allowed for your ‘Private’ profile, be sure to check the box on the respective app row.
• Click the Allow another app button if you are not able to locate the app you wish to add to the list.
• You can then browse the .exe file of the app and add it.
• To save changes, click the OK button. After that, close the window.

How to Restore Windows 11 Firewall Settings to Default

Here is how to restore Windows 11 Firewall Settings to default –

• Open the Windows Settings using the Windows+I keys.
• Then, select the Privacy & security tab on the left side of the window.
• On the right hand side of the Settings window, click the Windows Security tile.

• From there, click on the button that says Open Windows Security. 
• On the next page, click on the Firewall & network protection option.

• Next, scroll down the screen to the bottom and click the Restore firewalls to default option.

• You will be taken to another window where you have to click on the Restore defaults button.

How to access the Windows 11 Firewall settings

You must learn how to access the Windows firewall settings before you change them. Find the steps below for how to do this.

• Right-click on Start and select Settings from the menu list.
• The next step is to select the Privacy & security tab from the left pane.
• Click the Windows Security tile under the Security section.
• Next, click the Open Windows Security button.
• Then select the Firewall & network protection tile from the Windows Security window.
• From here, you’ll be able to access all the settings relating to Windows Defender Firewall.

Methods to Enable or Disable firewall in Windows 10

Here are the following steps to Enable or Disable firewall in Windows 10-

• Through Control Panel
• Enable and Disable firewall through Windows Settings
• Turn On or Off firewall through Command Prompt
• Enable or Disable firewall through Windows PowerShell

1] Through Control Panel

Disable –

To disable the firewall here are the following steps-

Step-1: Open Control Panel.

Step-2: Find out Windows Defender Firewall and then open it.

Step-3: When the next page opens, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.

Step-4:  Find Private network settings in the Customize settings window.

Step-5: Select the bubble next to Turns off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended)

Step-6: In the same way, go under Public network settings and click the bubble ahead of Turns off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended).

Enable –

To Enable the firewall, here are the following steps-

• Open the Control Panel.
• Locate the Windows Defender Firewall and then open it.
• On opening the next page, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
• Find Private network settings and Public network settings in the Customize settings window.
• Uncheck the bubble in both settings.

2] Turn On or Off firewall through Windows Settings

Disable –

Step-1: Press the Windows key through your keyboard.

Step-2: Type Windows Security and hit Enter.

Step-3: Locate the Firewall & network protection and click on the same.

Step-4: Here you will see the following network profiles – Domain network, Private network, and Public network.

Step-5: Click on each of the three network profiles one after the other and let enable the Firewall completely for all.

Step-6: When you click on Public network, the following panel will become visible.

Step-7: Under the Windows Defender Firewall, toggle the switch to the On position.

Step-8: A UAC will prompt. Click on the Yes button.

Step-9: Now, do the same for Domain network and Private network as well.

Step-10: You will see the changed status as follows.

Enable –

• Click on the Start button.
• Type Windows Security and hit Enter.
• Locate Firewall & network protection.
• Click on the Turn on for Firewall.

• A UAC will prompt, click on the Yes button.

3] Enable or Disable firewall through Command Prompt

Disable –

Step-1: At first, click on the Start button and type cmd.

Step-2: Make a right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step-3: A UAC will prompt, click on the Yes button.

Step-4: In the new window, type the following URL – netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

Step-5: By pressing the Enter key, the firewall will turn Off.

Enable –

• Click on the Start button and type cmd.
• Do a right-click on the Command Prompt option from the list and select Run as administrator.
• A UAC will prompt, click on the Yes button.
• Type the following URL – netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

• By pressing the Enter key, the firewall will turn On.

4} Turn On or Off firewall through Windows PowerShell

Disable –

Step-1: At first, click on the Start button and type PowerShell.

Step-2: Make a right-click on the Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.

Step-3: A UAC will prompt, click on the Yes button.

Step-4: Type the following URL – Set-NetFirewallProfile -Enabled False

Step-5: By pressing the Enter key, the firewall will turn Off.

Enable –

• Click on the Start button and type cmd.
• Do a right-click on the Windows PowerShell option from the list and select Run as administrator.
• A UAC will prompt, click on the Yes button.
• Type the following URL – Set-NetFirewallProfile -Enabled True

• By pressing the Enter key, the firewall will turn ON.